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Dear friends in Christ,

"Remember, you are ashes and to ashes you will return."  Today is Ash
Wednesday, and I - as many Christians today - bear on my forehead an ashen
sign of the cross.  But today it is not only my forehead that bears ashes,
but so does my memory.  My memory sees forest ashes from fires in Montana
forests and small towns.  My memory recalls smelling burned houses in Los
Alamos.  My memory shudders from walking through ashes of destruction and
carnage at the World Trade Center site last September.

In the chapel sermon this morning, Dr. Lowell Almen (Secretary of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) stated that "ashes are a reminder
of death and destruction in our world" - reminders of grief and weeping, of
fear and no solace.  "But," he reminded us, "Ash Wednesday is not about us.
Ash Wednesday is about God."

Today many of us bear upon our foreheads the mark of Jesus Christ.  But we
who have been marked with the cross of Christ at our baptism also see that
sign as a sign of forgiveness, of new life, and of salvation.  As
cross-bearing people, we are active in God's world to offer God's grace and
love to sorrowing, fearful people.

Reflecting upon the ashes of the World Trade Center, I think not only on
the death scenario that continues to play out in that place, but also on
the life-giving scenario of God's cross-bearing people active in witnessing
to what God has done for us in Jesus Christ.

For example, last week Dr. Gary Harbaugh (LDR pastoral caregiver) was
present with the ELCA Metro New York Synod Ministerium on the theme "Act of
God/Active God."  About 100 pastors and other persons in ministry attended.
It opened with worship and a sermon by Bishop Stephen Bouman.  Morning
discussion focused on biblical and theological resources for responding to
disaster, the pastoral care challenges during a long term recovery, and the
importance of pastoral self-care for the sake of ministry.  In the
afternoon participants divided into small groups of colleagues to talk
about personal and pastoral reactions to 9-11; current and most pressing
pastoral care needs; how they are taking care of themselves so as to be
able to provide ministry over the long haul; and the primary ways in which
they see God active at this five month point after the attacks.

The week before Dr. Foster McCurley (LDR caregiver) and Alan Weitzman met
with 20 lay persons in New Jersey.  These individuals provide and enable
caregiving for people in their congregations, people who are devastated by
their grief and loss.  "The need for help is obvious," Foster noted.

Ann Eissfeldt is in the Washington D.C. area this week, exploring how the
church can provide help and support for children traumatized by the crash
into the Pentagon and the threat of anthrax in their community.

At the end of January Orphan Grain Train (an LDR Coalition member) brought
in truckloads of food for New York City pantries, nine of which had
completely run out of provisions.

"Ash Wednesday is not about us.  Ash Wednesday is about God."  We who have
been marked with the cross of Christ at our baptism bear that sign of
forgiveness, of new life, of salvation as we reach out to others with the
same love God has reached out to us.

And so our Lenten journey begins, as we move from this Wednesday of ashes
towards the Sunday of Easter resurection.

Yours in Christ,
Gil Furst

GILBERT B. FURST (written on Wed, Feb 13, 2002, at  4:45 pm).  Director for
  ELCA DOMESTIC DISASTER RESPONSE (Division for Church in Society) and
  LUTHERAN DISASTER RESPONSE (a cooperative ministry of the ELCA and LC-MS)
  8765 W. Higgins Rd., Chicago 60631  PHONE: 773-380-2822 FAX: 773-380-2493
Please visit our website:  www.elca.org/dcs/disaster